Aid to the agricultural sector in sub-Saharan Africa doubles, 2003–12

Official development assistance (ODA) to the agriculture sector in sub-Saharan Africa more than doubled between 2003 and 2012, by when it received 40% of aid to agriculture globally. Levels have risen since 2010 despite overall ODA to all sectors falling 13% over the same period.

ODA to agriculture projects in sub-Saharan Africa went from US$1.1 billion in 2003 to US$2.5 billion in 2012, an increase of 121%.The share of aid to this sector going to sub-Saharan Africa also increased, from 37.4% to 40.3% by 2012, the highest share in the period.

ODA to agriculture projects in South & Central Asia also increased, by 86% between 2003 and 2012, though has declined since 2010. After ODA to the region had peaked at US$1.4 million in 2010, itfell28%to stand at US$1.0 billion in 2012.Its share of total agriculture ODA fell from 20.4% to 16.9%.

Far East Asia and the Americas each received around an eighth of total agricultural ODA between2003 and 2012. Both regions saw significant increases, especially the Americas where agriculture ODA almost doubled from US$339 million in 2003 to US$617 million in 2012. But both these regions’ shares of the total fell.

Others regions–Europe, North Africa and the Middle East –also saw agriculture ODA increase between 2003 and 2012.

Around a tenth (9.5%) of agriculture ODA on average over the period did not go to a specific country. This aid could have an impact on several countries or globally, such as research. The category can also include aid where the recipient country is not known.

ODA is gross disbursements to all eligible recipients from DAC donors, non-DAC donors (Kuwait and the UAE) and multilaterals that report to the CRS. Data for 2013 will not be available until December 2014.